Quote: Extinction

"The extinction of life may have been almost as common as its origination, and for proper perspective, we should realize that essentially all plant and animal species that lived before the present are now extinct. Although the fossil record currently documents only about 250,000 past species, there may have been perhaps 4 million or more. The vagaries of all fossil preservation, of soft-bodied organisms, the yet undiscovered species, and the destruction of part of the fossil record account for the discrepancy in the two numbers. Today, in comparison, about 2 million species have actually been named. Until the early 1980s, estimates of existing species - including those not yet identified - hovered around 3 million to 5 million, but now the revised estimates vary between 10 and 50 million! Most species on earth, regardless of the estimate, are insects and are mainly from tropical regions."

Editorial Comment: Textbooks which include extinction as evidence for evolution often support it with the claim that 99% of all species (including dinosaurs) are extinct. They ignore the important facts: The figures above help expose the 99% extinction claim for what it really is – massive loss of living things. However, killing off one creature may explain why others suddenly have more room, but it in no way explains where the others came from. Furthermore, the present day trend of increasing extinction rates truly does support the claim that life is on the decline from created perfection, not evolving upwards to greater complexity and diversity. (Ref. Fossils, Species, Extinction)